#ManCrushMonday: Aaron Tveit

Graceland's most eligible bachelor gets real about his best on-screen kiss—and rapping in the shower.

There's been some online speculation lately regarding Aaron Tveit's relationship status, so I felt it was my duty to call him up and ask. Ladies, swoon: "I'm single and dating and looking to find a very nice girl. So who knows?" the Graceland actor says bashfully.

We've been crushing over Tveit ever since his one-episode stint as America Ferrera's momentary boyfriend on Ugly Betty, but since then the singer-actor has had a swift ascent as the blue-blooded Tripp van der Bilt on Gossip Girl; Enjolras in the film version of Les Misérables; a number of musical roles on Broadway, where he's fast become a favorite; and undercover agent Mike Warren on USA's Graceland.

Now in its second season, Graceland has taken a turn for Tveit's Mike Warren, who, between seasons, has transformed from a staunch adherent of the letter of the law to a morally-flexible mission-driven man, and goes head to head with his mentor in a drug case shrouded in deception. Tveit told us about becoming Agent Warren (he can now shoot a gun), rapping in the shower, and his best-ever on-screen kiss.

Did you have to learn any new skills to become Mike Warren?

A lot. I think I had shot a .22 rifle once in my life, but I had never really learned how to operate it, and I wasn't familiar with handguns. I'm supposed to be this expert marksman, so I said, "OK, how do I make that show on-screen?" Luckily we have a lot of resources available to us on set. We went to tactical training last year, and all the SWAT team guys you've seen in the show are all actually current or former law enforcement guys, so I can ask, "Am I holding this gun right?" I heard from them their pet peeve is watching shows where these guys are supposed to be badass FBI agents, and they are immediately "frauded" because of the way they're holding the gun. I wanted to make sure I looked like I knew what I was doing.

Are you a good shot now?

Yeah, I can actually shoot a gun pretty well.

Did you save your targets and hang them up?

I did, actually! I have a couple of them. It's funny you ask that.

Other than Graceland, what do you watch on TV?

I'm a huge Game of Thrones fan. Though I'm more of the book snob. I've actually read all five books twice. And while I'm shooting I find it very hard to watch other scripted dramas. I'd rather go home and watch golf or NBA and a lot of baseball, or I still watch American Idol and The Voice and shows like that.

I want to hear about Gossip Girl. Who was the most fun cast member?

I'm really great friends with Chace [Crawford]. We still keep in touch. We kind of instantly were bonding over sports that we liked. We're very similar. And I loved working with Blake. I can't say enough great things about all of those people, and they really welcomed me into their little family. It's amazing how many people still ask me about Tripp Vanderbilt, which will probably go down as the all-time greatest character name that I will ever play in my life.

What about Ugly Betty, in which you America Ferrera's boyfriend?

I was very blessed to be a special guest on a lot of these New York shows; working with America was fantastic. I never met her before and we kind of instantly hit it off also. Again, they made me feel so welcome to their set. I learned a lot from that time and those people. That's the way that you should treat people on your own set. So I said, if I ever got the chance to be a lead on a show, I have a lot of references to how to act and how to treat people. I learned a lot from those experiences.

Best ever on screen kiss—who was it?

Oh, man. I was pretty lucky to get to kiss Blake that often. I mean, that was pretty great. my friends were like, "Are you kidding me?"

Your background is in theater. Do you practice singing often?

I do. I still take voice lessons when I'm in New York, and I sing everyday because it's a lot like everything else; you need to work it out. My castmates would tell you that I never stop singing. I have no concept that I'm doing it.

Do you watch a lot of theater yourself?

I do. When I'm in New York, I try to see as much as I can. I recently saw Rocky, and I'm really looking forward to Holler If Ya Hear Me and After Midnight and Hedwig.

What's your favorite show tune?

Soliloquy from Carousel is my favorite show tune of all time.

More importantly, what's your shower song?

My shower song—some days I'm screaming Bruno Mars out. Other days I'm rapping in there. Other days I'm singing old Frank Sinatra or Rat Pack songs.

Rapping, huh? Freestyle or covers?

I was a kid of the early '80s. I grew up, arguably, in the best hip-hop time, the late '90s. I went to a high school that was very driven by hip-hop culture, and I listened to a ton of rap music growing up. It's a lot of Tupac and Biggie and Jadakiss and Nas. I'm sure my neighbors think I'm an absolute crazy person if they can hear it.

You might not know this, but there's a lot of speculation online about your relationship status. Are you single?

I am currently single, yes.

You're about to make some readers really happy.

Yeah, I mean, that's something that I don't talk about often, but yes, I'm single and dating and looking to find a very nice girl. So who knows?

Is there a role you're dying to play post-Graceland?

I'm dying to get back on stage in New York, either with a play or a musical.

What do you like most about Season 2?

I kind of like not being so nice to everybody all the time. It's kind of a lot of fun. I had a really great time with that, but I think overall I think the storytelling has stepped up a notch.

Mike Warren has gone from being something of a goodie-goodie to a renegade agent who's not afraid of gray areas from Season 1 to Season 2. Which one are you?

I don't really tell people off very often, like Season 2 Mike does. I try to keep my mouth shut most of the time and go about my own business. I'm probably more like Season 1 Mike than Season 2 Mike.

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